1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to autorack railroad cars for transporting automobiles and other motor vehicles from the manufacturer to designated delivery points, and is more particularly concerned with bridge plates between autorack railroad cars that permit the automobiles to be driven from one railroad car to another when the autorack railroad cars are being loaded with automobiles or when the automobiles are being discharged from the autorack railroad car train. More particularly, this invention is concerned with portable telescoping bridge plates which are adjustable and extend between autorack railroad cars even though such cars are not always the same distance apart.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Autorack railroad cars are formed into a train with the railroad cars connected together, and bridge plates are connected between the cars in order to load the automobiles, vans, and other motor vehicles into the autorack railroad train and pass the autos through the cars from one car to another to fill the train, and to empty the train when the autos are being delivered to their destination.
Because of differences in coupler cushioning movement of various autorack railroad cars, they may not be the same distance apart when connected together in a train, and this may cause problems with bridge plates that may be too short to be mounted between the railroad cars, or may be too long so that a bridge plate may be connected to one railroad car while it may not be connected to the other railroad car and would have its unconnected end resting on the other railroad car and extending into the air so as to cause a bump when an automobile was driven over it which might throw the automobile up and scrape the roof of the automobile on the above railroad car deck.